bean bags, birthdays, and more

We are enjoying these bean bags, so thank you G-daddy and G-mommy!
Lydi with Tinkerbell (or Pinkerbell as TW says) at the street festival downtown.
Another blessing has been meeting this sweet Chinese family!
Lydi with Princess Tiana. She was so excited to walk up and see the princesses! We recently got two frogs (African dwarf frogs which are really fun) and Lydia named them Naveen and Tiana!

We have had so much to report, and so little time to do it.

I'll share a few highlights as well as lowlights from the past few weeks.
Highlights First...
- TW turned 2 on June 30th, and we had a very fun time celebrating with a Thomas the Train party!
- TW and Lydi were given bean bags for his birthday and they LOVE them. This has been an item on the Christmas and birthday list for quite a while.
- Play group on Tues. has been a ton of fun for not only the kiddos, but for mommy as well:)
- Settling into our new home, painting, unpacking, working in the yard, unpacking, hanging pictures, etc.
- Meeting a precious Kazakh family that we will be hosting for the next year while they are here in officer training school.
- Staycation (Montgomery's word for a festival downtown during the 4th of July) so much fun!
- first trip to the dentist and it was successful.
- meeting neighbors and enjoying the convenience of our new neighborhood
- 10:30 showing of Eclipse (first date with Ben since Sam was born!)

Now for a few lowlights (all are pertaining to the brutal heat and mosquitos)
- A.C. broke at the beginning of the summer
- It was over 100 degrees here today; therefore, we could not swim in our little pool outside because the water was almost boiling. (OK, maybe not boiling, but it did feel like really warm bath water)
- Ben accidentally killed our fish in our pond outside spraying for mosquitos
- TW has had a horrible time with his skin this summer (we'll be taking a trip to the allergy dr. in the morning)

All things considered we are doing well. I can't believe how big our children are getting. Lydi now without her pacy seems like she's all grown up, TW just turning TWO and talking so much, little Sambo is about to be five months old and is ready to start trying some cereal. Time flies by, and I have been reminded this summer that life goes by so quickly. I want to capture every memory and moment with them while they need me for everything. Even though it is exhausting most days, it is such a blessing to have these little ones!